The Happy Youngster is a diehard baseball fan and ballhawk. "Happy" has snagged 58 game home run baseballs hit during actual MLB games. Allow him to take you to the bleachers and see how he does it…

Results tagged ‘ Mariano Rivera ’

MARIANO RIVERAThis guy is just sick…how many players have been doing it this good for so long? Not too many.I think it was 1997 when I met Mr. Rivera in downtown Milwaukee. My brother and I went on a quest to get his Tino Martinez Yankees game bat signed outside the Yankees team hotel. Who did we see walking with Tino down the street in downtown Milwaukee? Mariano freakin’ Rivera. I always keep a baseball with me-you never know who you will run into!

BTW, I’ve only gone to team hotels for autographs a handful of times. I was younger and more intrusive. I no longer personally feel that’s a proper place to obtain autographs (to each his/her own, I guess).

BOB FELLERMy appreciation for “yesterday’s heroes” is great. Think about what these guys went through over the course of their baseball careers. 1. Low salaries2. Lesser accomodations3. Few endorsements4. Off-season jobs5. MILITARY DUTY!!! There was a World War going on, you know. Mr. Feller actually enlisted after Pearl Harbor was attacked. He missed 4 seasons during the prime of his career as a result of his service to his country. Now that’s a real American hero.

“Rapid Robert” was just awesome. Apparently, his fastball was once clocked at over 104 mph!

With all the steroid talk going on, Bob Feller believes there should be a separate Hall of Fame for all the “drug losers.” Still going strong at the age of 90, he was talking politics with me the day I was able to get this baseball signed. I think it was before the election of 2000. If my memory serves me well, he told me to get out and vote. What a great guy.

LESLIE NIELSENYeah, that Leslie Nielsen! I love his movies. This guy is hilarious. My wife and I met him at the Vincent T. Lombardi Golf Classic held annually in Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin. My wife and I have volunteered for this event in the past and were able to meet Mr. Nielsen because of this.

How can you not love the “Naked Gun” movies?

REGGIE JACKSONThis guy is really a jag, but he sure could play baseball.So, I’m walking around (more like gawking around) Peoria Sports Complex during Spring Training of 1999. I hear a cell phone ring in front of me and a very large man answers it, “Reggie.” I think to myself, Reggie? Holy crap, Reggie Jackson! So, I pull the baseball pictured below out of my backpack and proceeded to get it inked by the dufus pictured to the left. And he didn’t even charge me for his autograph! Lol.

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